Button Cowl in Plymouth Coffee Beenz - F494

Button Cowl in Plymouth Coffee Beenz – Pattern F494

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn Design Studio (pattern number F494) guides knitters through the construction of a stylish Button Cowl worked in Plymouth Yarn Coffee Beenz. Designed as a one-size-fits-all accessory, the finished cowl measures 24 inches in diameter and 7 inches in height, making it a generously sized neck warmer suitable for a wide range of wearers. The pattern is available as a free downloadable PDF with yarn purchase, making it an excellent value for anyone already planning to work with this yarn.

What Is Being Made

The project is a flat-knitted cowl that, once complete, is fastened into its circular shape using six buttons. Rather than being knitted in the round, the cowl is worked back and forth in rows and then closed with a clever buttonhole bind-off along one edge and buttons sewn along the other. This construction method gives the cowl a structured, layered look and allows for easy adjustment of fit. The two-color design creates a striking visual split, with each color occupying exactly half of the fabric width throughout the entire piece.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Coffee Beenz – 2 balls of 100g each; one ball in Color A (shown in colorway 9456) and one ball in Color B (shown in colorway 9204)
• Needles: US size 8 straight or appropriate needles, plus a cable needle
• Buttons: Six Dill buttons, style #330325, 20mm – these are used to fasten the cowl closed along the buttonhole bind-off edge
• Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches on US size 8 needles, or size needed to obtain gauge

Plymouth Yarn Coffee Beenz is the star material here, and its texture and weight are well suited to the ribbed and cabled fabric structure called for in this pattern. Achieving the correct gauge before beginning is important, as it directly affects the final diameter and height of the cowl.

Techniques Used

• Two-color intarsia-style knitting: The cowl is worked with two separate balls of yarn — Color A and Color B — each managing 32 stitches across the row. A key technique throughout is crossing yarns at the center intersection to prevent holes, with the old color going under and the new color going over. This is a fundamental intarsia principle that keeps the fabric tidy and gap-free at the color join.
• Flat knitting with row repeats: The pattern is worked back and forth in rows, with a six-row repeat (rows 3–8) that is continued until the piece reaches the desired length of 24 inches.
• Cable crossings in ribbing: Two specialty cable stitches form the textural focal point of the design, creating twisted rib cables that travel across the fabric at regular intervals.
• Buttonhole bind-off: A decorative and functional bind-off technique creates six evenly spaced button loops along the final edge, eliminating the need for separately worked buttonholes.

Stitches Used

• 1x1 Rib (k1, p1): The foundation stitch of the entire cowl. Every row is based on a one-by-one rib pattern, which gives the fabric elasticity and a neat, classic texture. In ribbing, knit stitches and purl stitches alternate across the row, and on return rows the stitches are worked to maintain the rib column alignment.
• C8RibF (Cable 8 Rib Front): Slip the next 4 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the front of the work; work *k1, p1* twice across the next 4 stitches on the left needle; then work *k1, p1* twice across the 4 stitches held on the cable needle. This creates a left-leaning rib cable cross over 8 stitches.
• C8RibB (Cable 8 Rib Back): Slip the next